Spiritual Meditations (05 Apr 2017 NewAgeIslam.Com)

If Words Are Made Of Silver, Silence Is Made Of Gold

By Ali Jabbar

16 March 2017

Silentium Est Aureum – often translated as silence is golden, or perhaps more aptly as
silence is gold; is a phrase laden with ancient wisdom in a world severely in
need of timeless assistance. Gold is that which is eternally valuable,
eternally sought after, so how strange is it today that silence, the finest
manifestation of golden treasure, is neglected and disregarded. Or is it the
case that man, despite his huge technological advancements; is the poorest he
has ever been?

The poverty of man can arguably be
attributed to the poverty of language. Words that denote subtly different
meanings are often used interchangeably; words are used inappropriately, too
frequently, or defined too simply in a manner that fails to convey their
complete meaning. In this regard, the term silence has fallen victim to this
poverty. It is often defined as merely the lack of noise, which though
accurate, fails to convey a deeper sense of the word. Silence, when attributed
to inanimate surroundings, perhaps only denotes the lack of noise, but when
attributed to a man can be said to represent a finer meaning. The silence of
the philosopher or the mystic, in ancient literature has never been used to
indicate his mere abstinence from speech, but a metaphysical state of being
beyond that which his external quietude is representing.

The state of silence represents a profound
awareness of one’s reality; a deep connection with the now and a state beyond
one’s frantic worries. Often, what is termed as silence is not silence in its
true essence. Though we may not be speaking, we are blighted with incessant
thoughts and perpetual worries; we live our future hopes repeatedly and our
past regrets painfully. The noise in our mind is greater than any noise we can
physically produce.

The state of silence is deeply linked with
our immediate presence. The more present we are – away from thoughts that
distract us – the more silent we are. When we truly marvel at the beauty of a
flower, we are not attacked by thoughts telling us it is beautiful. Its very
beauty speaks to us, rendering such thoughts unnecessary. The more we tell
ourselves it is beautiful, the less we truly appreciate such beauty. In the
modern day world we are not merely afflicted by thoughts informing us of
something’s beauty, we feel a narcissistic need to share such ‘appreciation’ of
beauty with others. Thus we share the noise of our minds with the noisy
approval of others, and the poor flower is lost amongst all the commotion.

The state of silence is also integral in
the quest for truth. A seeker of knowledge must be capable of silence. We must
be able to read others, listen to others and understand others without the
intrusion of our noisy thoughts and objections. How often it is the case that
in discussion, we are listening to the response in our mind, pre-prepared,
rather than to what the other is writing or saying. The noisy soul is
perpetually scared of listening to others. The owner of a frail house cannot
sleep for fear of it crumbling. Likewise, he who is incapable of listening is
always in fear. He cannot bear to think that his ideas and thoughts, ones he is
so familiar with, can be replaced with new unknown ideas. He is unwilling to
even introduce himself. So like the aforementioned owner, he closes his door
lest the arrival of guests leads to the collapse of his house.

Waterside Lodge – Leader

In a world of noise and hustle and with
everyone frantically chasing what will inevitably perish, our appreciation for
silence has significantly diminished. Silence is a sought after treasure only
when one wishes to sleep, so that his efforts for another day of endless
running are not undermined. Silence is an unwanted companion in other times,
lingering awkwardly, everyone willing it to depart.

On the rare occasions we are silent,
everyone inevitably assumes there must be something wrong. Even our silence is
not silent, with the endless barrage of questions and concerned looks.

The reality is that it is often only in
silence that we can truly think, that we can truly reflect and that we can
truly be alive. This is why the best moments in our lives often leave us
speechless, for nothing captures the splendour and wonder of our best times
like silence. Silence reflects the serenity of the soul; one at peace with God,
his people and surroundings. Silence is the trait of the humble, those who
comprehend their frailties and limits, their ignorance and weakness, their
death and life. In silence, the signs of God are made manifest on this earth.

“He
said, ‘My Lord! Appoint a sign for me.’ He said, ‘Your sign is that you will
not speak to the people for three complete nights.’ So he emerged before his
people from the Temple, and signalled to them that they should glorify [Allah]
morning and evening.” (19:10-11)